Driving-chain.



c. @EDEN &H.W.,ALL1NGHAM.

DRIVING CHAIN.

APPLICATION HLED IUNE 13. |914.

Patented Apr. 25, 1916.

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C` G. EDEN L H` W. ALLINGHAM.

DRIVING CHAIN.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 13, i914. LlDD.

Patented Apr. 25, 1916.

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C. G. EDEN & H. W. ALLINGHAM. DRIVING CHAIN. APPLICATION F|LED1UNE13.1914.

Patented Apr. 25, 1916.

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CHRISTOPHER GABRIEL EDEN AND HENRY 11V. ALLINGI-IAM, OF MANCHESTER, ENG- LAND, ASSIGNORS 'IO FIRM HANS RENOLD LIMITED, OF MANCHESTER, ENGLAND,

A CORPORATION. v

:DRIVING-CHAIN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr.. 25, 19145.

Applicationled .T une 13, 1914. Serial No. 844,970.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, CHRISTOPHER GA- BRIEL EDEN and HENRY WILLIAM ALLING- 11AM, both subjects of the King of Great Britain, and both residing at Manchester, in the county of Lancaster, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in Driving-Chains, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to driving chains of the type usually called silent chains.

It is the principal object of the invention to'increase the strength and durability of such chains while fitting them to run either on simple chain wheels with complete transversely-extending teeth, or on circumferentially grooved chain wheels, as may be required, and leaving them simple to manufacture, to assemble, and to take apart when required-f0r instance, to replace a damaged link.

Further objects are to proportion better the extent of the bearing surfaces on the transverse studs or pins 1n relation to the tensile strength of the chain in the web portions thereof, and to facilitate the lubrication of the bearing surfaces.

lIhese, and other objects which will be apparent from the detailed description of the invention, are attained by the use of chain links of I and half-I section with laterally extended segmental-bearing surfaces which overlap one another on the transverse studs or pins, and which bear against but do not project through the webs of adjacent links in the chain.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in several examples of construction.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of part of a block chain made in accordance with our invention. Fig. 2 is a section on the line Z-Z of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 4: is an isometric projection of part of a chain. Fig. 5 is a perspective drawing of an I-link. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing how a chain tends to be distorted under load. Fig. 7 illustrates diagrammatically how an I-link can be replaced by t-wo separate half-I links. Fig. 8 illustrates how such a half-I link tends to be distorted. Fig. 9 shows two separate half-I links with thinned webs.` Fig. 10 is I a side elevation of one of the links shown in Fig. 14: shows a stamped link in side elevation for a hushed chain to gear on both sides. Fig. 15 shows a coined half-I link for a bushed chain, to gear on one side only. Fig. 16 is a plan view partly in section of part of a plain coined link chain made in accordance with our invention. Fig. 17 is a side elevation thereof. Figs. 18 and 19 show in side elevation respectively modified forms of a block-link and a stamped link adapted to gear on both sides with the chain wheels. Fig. 2O shows a portion of a chain wheel with which links as in Figs. 1S and 19 will operate.

It will be convenient to describe ourv invention first as applied by way of example to a silent chain of the block type, adapted to gear on both sides and built with straightwebbed I and `half-I links. Part of such a chain is shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4l, and an I-link is shown in Fig. 5.

rIhe improved chain consists of central I- links, A, and outer or guiding half-I links, B, through which are passed studs, C, whose ends are rivited over washers, D, in they usual way. All the links have straight (not arched) webs, E, andlater end-projections, F, which provide the gear faces, G and H, for the chain and the bearing surfaces, J, for the studs or pins; in the chain, the endprojections, F, overlap with the studs C between them, and have their edges K made plain, but with slightly rounded corners, so as to work smoothly against the wehfaces of the adjacent links. It will be seen that the chain is adapted to gear on both sides; that is, at the faces G and at the faces H. The links arefscalloped at L for facilitating gearing with the chain wheel teeth and for the sake of lightness and appearance. a concentration of stress at the angle, M, formed where the face of the web meets the inner surface of the end-projection, and the chain tends to be distorted as shown in Fig. G. Tests have shown that I and half-I links, when made of practicable and economical When such a chain is loaded there is fao las

manufacturing proportions, and loaded to destruction, give way always at the angle- M. For this reason the corners of the I and half-I links illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 are roundedas shown at A.

For some purposes, particularly for chains subjected to sudden shocks, it may be advantageous to use only half-I links in building up the chain, placing these half-I links in pairs back to back' in order to form the central I-links, as shown inf Fig. 7 Then, if the load ever becomes so great as to distort the chain, shown, in Fig. 8 and relieve the concentrationv of Vstressfat the angle M1.. In order to facilitatev this relieving of the stress at the angle M, the webs may bef reduced in area of cross section at the-central parts thereof, asfshown at N in: Figs. 9 and 10, in such wise as to make thewebs more pliable than they otherwise-wouldbe to lateral bending, while leaving'. them strong to withstand tension, and strong. to withstand bending in the plane of the chain wheels. The strength of a link-web in. tension is determined by the area of crossv section of the O-P of Fig. 10, which is' drawn alongV a diameter-of the stud hole and at right angles to the longitudinalv axis of the link, and so long asl the least area of cross section of the web atN is not'less than that at O-P, the strength of the link will not be imperiled, but will, on: thecontrary', be safeguarded, by a sluitable reduction of cross sectional area at .f

The-simplest way to effect' the reduction of areafisfto millout a groove, asshown at N in Fig..10, by means of a suitably shaped milling cutter which may also mill away the sides: ofY thel blankto form the web, as is hereinafter more fully described. The reduction may takel vthe form of a simple groove on either face of the web, or of grooves on one or both faces.

A suitable method of manufacturing a block; chain such as that shown in Fig. 1 is the following-Blanks of the overall dimensions of the finished link with an allowance for grinding are sawed off from a bar of steel which is preferably hotI rolled, drawn and cold.k rolledI in successiony in the usual way to bring it to shape. The blanks are drilled, reamed, and carbonized, and therrmilled on thefsides to the shape of the linksi- The links are next hardened, and iinished by grinding them at the gear faces. Finally the chain is built up by passing studs of suitable length through the links which have their end-projections overlapping and faces of the `positions to work against the adj acentlink-webs, and the ends of the studs are 'riveted over washers inf the well-known way, as'shown in- Figs. 1 to 4'.

invention to a type, built with The application of. our silent chain of the bushed the websl can bendv laterally as web at the linestraight-webbed links, and adapted to gear on both sides, is illustrated by way of example in Figs. 11, 12 and 13.

The chain consists of central links A, each composed of two separate half-I links placed back to back but not directly fastened together, and of outer or guiding half-I links B. Each link carries its own segmental bushes, Q, which are pressed into holes or recesses, B, or are otherwise suitably fixed in the link. The bushes, Q, are adapted to overlap with the studs, C, between them; they are preferably shaped, as shown at S, Fig. 13, so that they lie in contact with the inner surfaces of the end-projections, F, of the links and assist in distributing the stress over the material of the link. The end edges of the bushes, Q., are preferably formed with plane faces for working against the faces of the adjacent link-webs or bushes as shown at U, Fig. 1l. Either the bushes may project beyond the end projections, F, or these latter beyondy the bushes, or they may both project equally so as to bear simultaneously against the opposed faces. The half-I links for such a hushed chain may conveniently be stamped, pressed or coined from sheet metal. The link webs A and B may be grooved as indicated in dotted lines at N in the right hand links of Fig. 11.

Figs. 14 and 15 show, in side elevation, half-I links for a hushed chain of the type described, stamped and coined respectively from sheet metal, which may be employed instead ofthe half-I links shown in Figs. 11 and 12; the coined link shown in Fig. 15 gears on one side only,

The application of our invention to plain chains without bushes is illustrated in Figs. 16l and 17. The end-projections, F, in the example-illustrated, are shown doubled over upony themselves in order to provide sufficient thickness of metal at the end-projections'to space the studs correctly away from the gear faces. Clearance must of course be left-between the ends of the end-projections toy allow space for the angular movement.

The chain consists of central links, A, each composed of two separate half-I links, and outer or guiding half-I links, B. All the links have straight webs, E, and lateral end-projections, F, which overlap with the stud,v C, between them, and provide the gear faces, G, H, for the chain and the bearing surfaces, J, for the studs. No bushes are used. The ends of the studs are riveted over washers, D, in the usual way.

Figs. 18 and 19 show modified forms of links adapted to gear on both sides with they chain wheels', but not requiring circumferential grooves of the'full depth of the teeth: to be cut: therein. The links have segmental bearing surfaces at J, or segmental bushes, Q, respectively, adapted to overlap with the studs between'them; the link webs, E, are made slightly arched in form, but the top of the arch does not eXtend into the straight part between the stud-holes. Hence, the chains made with these links will work upon chain wheels having only shallow circumferential grooves for the webs, E, as indicated at W in Fig. 20.

Chains made in accordance with our invention have many advantages over the ordinary chains of the silent type without oven lapping end-projections. Comparing chains of the same overall dimensions, the stud bearing surface, the strength of the links and the tooth bearing surface are increased considerably, and there is an appreciable diminution in weight. The studs are freely accessible to the lubricant, and are free from applied shearing stress. The chains may readily be made suitable to gear on both sides, and will gear with simple chain wheels or with circumferentially grooved chain wheels; they do not involve the use of chain wheels with mutilated or staggered teeth such as are necessary with chains of most known constructions which will gear on both sides, and the chains are easy to join up in position for driving, and to take apart also.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is zl. llhe combination in a chain of two links, and a pivot stud coupling the two links, said links having two segmental bearing members bearing upon the stud at opposite sides thereof, one segmental bearing member being attached to one link and the other segmental bearing member attached to the other link, said segmental bearing members having end faces adapted to bear and to work against the side faces of the webs of the opposed links, substantially as described.

2. In a chain, the combination of two sets of link elements, a pivot stud coupling the sets of link elements, said link element being straight and having gear faces formed on laterally projecting ends thereof at both sides, whereby the link elements are adapted to gear on either side of the chain, and segmental bushes projecting laterally from each link element and bearing against the stud from opposite sides thereof, said segmental bushes having their end faces formed in such manner as to bear against the webs of adjacent link elements, whereby the link elements are spaced apart laterally in the chain, substantially as described.

3. In a chain, the combination of two sets of link elements, each element comprising a web with lateral end-projections at each end and on the same side thereof constituting gear faces for the chain, segmental bushes projecting laterally from said link elements adjacent to said lateral end-projections, and a pivot stud lfor connecting together said two sets of link elements, upon which stud said segmental bushes are adapted to bear from opposite sides thereof, said segmental bushes and end-projections having their end faces so formed as to be adapted to bear against the side faces of the webs of adjacent link elements engaging with the said stud, whereby the link elements are spaced apart laterally, substantially as described.

el. In a chain, the combination of two sets of link elements, each element comprising a web with its central portion partially cut away in a direction transversely to the length of the link, whereby lateral bending of the link at the center is facilitated, and lateral end-projections at each end of the web and on one side thereof constituting gear faces for the chain, segmental bushes projecting laterally from said link elements adjacent to said lateral end-projections, and a pivot stud for connecting together said two sets of link elements, upon which stud said segmental bushes are adapted to bear from opposite sides thereof, said segmental bushes and end-projections being so formed as to be adapted to bear against the faces of adjacent link elements engaging with the said stud, whereby the link elements are spaced apart laterally, substantially as described.

In witness whereof, we have hereunto signed our names this 13th day of March, 1914, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHRISTOPHER GABRIEL EDEN. HENRY W. ALLINGHAM.

`Witnesses to both signatures:

.ARTHUR Asi-icnor'r,

h-rAnLns E. MAYcocK.

opies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patente, Washington, D. C. 

